Neurodivergent Conditions

A

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) – A condition marked by challenges with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

• Alexithymia – Difficulty identifying and expressing emotions, often affecting relationships and emotional regulation.

• Autism (Autistic Spectrum Condition) – A lifelong developmental difference affecting communication, social interaction, and sensory processing.

C

• Cluttering – A speech fluency disorder that results in rapid, irregular speech that can be hard to understand.

D

• Dyscalculia – A specific learning difference that affects understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts.

• Dysgraphia – A learning difficulty that impacts handwriting, spelling, and written expression.

• Dyslexia – A common difference in reading and language processing, affecting reading, spelling, and memory.

• Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder) – A condition affecting physical coordination and motor planning.

H

• Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) – A temperament trait involving deep processing of sensory and emotional input; not a clinical diagnosis but often included in neurodiversity discussions.

• Hyperlexia – The  advanced ability to read at an early age often well before formal instruction combined with difficulties in understanding spoken language or social communication.

I

• Irlen Syndrome – also known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, is a perceptual processing difference that affects how the brain interprets visual information.

L

• Language Processing Disorder – A condition where understanding and using spoken language is difficult, despite normal hearing and intelligence.

M

• Misophonia – A sound sensitivity condition where specific noises trigger strong emotional or physical reactions.

N

• Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) – Strong verbal skills combined with difficulties in visual-spatial, social, and motor functioning.

O

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – A condition involving intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours, often included in broader neurodiversity conversations.

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) – A behavioural condition involving defiant, hostile behaviour, often linked with other neurodivergent traits.

P

• Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) – A profile within the autism spectrum where individuals experience high anxiety-driven avoidance of everyday demands.

• Processing Differences – A general term for cognitive or sensory processing styles that differ from the neurotypical pattern.

R

• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) – An intense emotional sensitivity to perceived criticism or rejection, commonly associated with ADHD.

S

• Selective Mutism – An anxiety-related condition where individuals are unable to speak in specific social settings despite having the ability to speak.

• Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) – Difficulty regulating and responding to sensory input such as sounds, textures, or lights.

• Stuttering (Stammering) – A speech difference involving involuntary disruptions in the flow of speech.

• Synesthesia – A perceptual difference where stimulation of one sense automatically and involuntarily triggers another.

T

• Tourette Syndrome – A condition involving involuntary movements and vocal tics; often considered both neurological and neurodevelopmental, but frequently included in neurodiversity frameworks.

V

• Visual Processing Disorder (VPD) – A difference in how the brain interprets visual information.

W

• Working Memory Difficulties – The brain’s ability to hold and manipulate information for short periods while using it to complete a task.